CATIA Licensing

[looslib]

We have 2 seats of CATIA V5 that we have decide not to pay mauintenance on. I have heard from 1 source that CATIA is licensed as a right-to-use license. By this I mean that if we don't pay, we cannot use the software anymore.

Can someone confirm if this is true or not?
Also, what is the name of the license file?

Contacting Dassault on their web site is a complete joke. I tried for 2 weeks to get a quote for additional licenses and never got a call back or an e-mail. I finnally got a quote from a reseller.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
Sr IS Technologist
L-3 Communications

 

[PeterGuy]

This correct purchsing of CATIA usually follows this model authough there are others

At the initial purchase of the software a Primary License Charge (PLC) is payed this is the big £$£$£$

Then the user pays a Recuring Licence Charge (RLC) this is a monthly right to use charge which is usually billed quarterly. If you do not pay this then you have no right to use the software and are thus using it illegaly (it may be possible to pay the missing RLC's and resume use of CATIA but this is entirely at the discression of IBM, otherwise you will have to rebuy the software (PLC).

You may have decided to opt out of a support contract with a BP or IBM depending on your size. This does not affect your right to use the software.

 

[solid7]

I thought that the correct terminology was Annual License Charge? (ALC)

This is what appears on my bills. Although I do understand that there was change to the billing recently.

You may continue to use whatever version of Catia that you have, indefinitely. However, here is the catch; Catia customers are constantly upgrading versions. Dassault only supports a particular version for about 2 years, TOPS. Currently, versions 14-16 are supported. That will most likely change when R17 drops. You can use earlier version, but they will be worthless, as far as receiving customer data goes. (you can't open later releases with an earlier version)

Also, you lose the right to update your software with service packs when you stop paying maintenance.

It should also be said, that if you purchased your software prior to this year, you have a lifetime license. However, Dassault has started issuing 2-year licensing to new customers, or upgraded licenses. If you don't pay maintenance, you don't get it renewed. You may have to pay substantial fees and penalties if you drop your maintenance, and pick it up later.

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CAD design engineering services - Catia V4, Catia V5, and CAD Translation. Catia V5 resources - CATBlog.

 

[PeterGuy]

ALC is something different to PLC & RLC and does have indefinate licence ownership but with no upgrades unless you purchase another years ALC. But now we are getting into sales man land.

The best advice I can give is talk to your BP about it as you never know what has been changed from one year to the next.

 

[J-C]

At the time we dropped Catia v4 for Solidworks back around 1998, that was the case.....we no longer had the ability to use Catia....kind of like a lease. Not sure if thats still the case.

Jason

UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2006 SP4.0 on WinXP SP2

 

[APrince]

Actually, in our case, the CATIA licenses that we had issued a year ago weren't indefinite. Each of those licenses have a built-in expiration date. Though these won't expire for a significant number of years.

 

[PeterGuy]

All catia license have an expiry date.
Permanent licenses used to expire in 2037, then it was 5 or 6 years now it is 2 years.

 

[solid7]

Unless you do YLC. That may be what was going on with these guys.

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CAD design engineering services - Catia V4, Catia V5, and CAD Translation. Catia V5 resources - CATBlog.

 

[looslib]

Our license was issued last year and expires in 2011.

So, I can continue to use V5R16 until 2011, but I won't get any new updates if we don't renew our maintenance.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
Sr IS Technologist
L-3 Communications